Tonight I will finally finish up the last of the gift-buying for friends and family! It actually wasn’t too bad this year. I started early, which helped make the season seem longer and less frazzled. I still managed to get down to the wire on a few things though. For who? I’m not telling!
I am so enjoying this Season, even though I think I have run into every hum-bug moment associated with the Holidays: chaotic malls, angry drivers, long lines, no parking spots, “sorry, we’re all out of that,” and overpriced shipping to get it here by Christmas. But none of this really bothered me this year. I think because I’ve had so much fun enjoying our lovely tree and looking forward to spending some time with family. We pack up tomorrow afternoon and head to my parent’s house for six days! This year the annual Christmas party promises to bring more than the usual number of friends and relatives to the house to enjoy food and wine, a warm fire and mostly each other. Christmas seems to be the time when friends from high school and college who have moved to different parts of the country all converge in once place and that in itself is cause for celebration. Somehow, these friendships are so easily rekindled, as if the months or years that spanned the distance between our last visit were as nothing at all. It makes me feel like a very rich person.
We’ll spend some time in Syracuse with Ben’s family after that, which will only mean more eating, drinking and celebrating. I’m so fortunate to have such great in-laws! I always told Ben that if he married me he would luck out because I came with such a wonderful family. Turns out, I did pretty well too!
I know that the next two weeks will fly by, as they always do. But I think I’ll choose to ignore that little piece of foresight at the moment, and just revel in what’s to come!
December 23rd, 2009 at 6:28 am
As usual, another Hallmark Moment….blog-wise. You keep reminding me what’s really important in life, not only during our times of celebration, bot each and every day. Your Grandmother enjoyed the holidays, and certainly her family and friends, as much as you do. Back then, her preparations in the kitchen were as much a part of the holidays as anything that turned up under the tree. I don’t know how she did it, even before she had a driver’s license and had to rely on Dad to reluctantly taxi her from store to store. Buses, I think.
I promise you and Ben an extra special Christmas. I’ll be more chipper this year than I was last year. You are lucky to have great in-laws who really love you. Ditto for Ben.
December 24th, 2009 at 11:54 pm
This year the weeks leading up to Christmas were especially tough on me as I worked 50 hours or more each of the last 5 or 6 weeks. Being shorthanded during a pandemic during which we alternately had ample of one or the other vaccine and were totally out of either or both at times. So I had to a lot of my usual Christmas stuff – like baking and shopping- ha ha- in order to keep the stress to a manageable level, but still, as I sit here alone at 11:49pm on Christmas Eve, I feel so blessed to have my health, family and friends… and 2 breakfast casseroles chilling and waiting for the oven in the a.m. And yes, Santa will be visiting the Shepard household this year.
Yes, you guys are very lucky to have the parents and in-laws that you do and it’s very heartwarming to know that you know it, too.